Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Jenny Mears, Education Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce the graduation of its first cohort of Advanced Inquiry Program Master's students! Offered in partnership with Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, the Advanced Inquiry Program is a ground-breaking graduate degree focused on inquiry-driven learning as a powerful agent for social change, public engagement and ecological stewardship. These graduates' journey began two-and-a-half years ago, in graduate courses at the zoo along with web-based courses that connected them with a broad network of educators and community leaders from around the world.  Photo: John E. Hollingsworth. While these students may have decided to join the AIP to further their own education (or just because they wanted to hang out with animals at the zoo), ultimately, they empowered their audiences and their communities in the process, and are now making positive change in the world together. Collectively, these graduate students f

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s Science and Technology Program has awarded Woodland Park Zoo a generous two-year grant—a portion of which will help fund wolverine monitoring research in the North Cascades—as a part of the expansion of the zoo’s Living Northwest field conservation program. Woodland Park Zoo’s Living Northwest program uses hidden cameras that are triggered by the presence of animals to monitor wolverine and other carnivore activity in the North Cascades. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo. With the $240,000 grant, Woodland Park Zoo will continue to build the Living Northwest conservation program, which leverages zoo-based resources to carry out Pacific Northwest wildlife projects focusing on endangered species recovery, conservation science and community-based education. “Woodland Park Zoo conducts leading conservation research in our region,” said Susan M. Coliton, Vice President of The Paul G. Allen Family Founda

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Whether it's your first time or a return to an annual tradition, a visit to WildLights presented by KeyBank this year will bring more lights, more animals and more fun to your holidays! You might say there are 575,000 sparkling reasons to come to WildLights, but what other activities can you look forward to during your visit? Here are the top 10 experiences you can't miss at WildLights this year! 1. See the all new and classic light displays Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Approximately 575,000 energy-efficient LED lights recreate wild animals and wild places in two and three dimensions along the zoo’s pathways and North Meadow. An animated display of nature’s wonder is woven into the zoo’s famous greenery inspired by exotic destinations from across the globe. Last year’s favorite displays, Northern Lights, The Water Hole and Jungle Lights, are joined this year by all new displays: Monkey Business, Glow-rilla

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications You spend all that time decorating the tree, and then a grizzly comes along and gobbles it up. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Well, hopefully not at your house, but that’s exactly what happens at Woodland Park Zoo’s Winter Celebration , Dec. 14-16 and Dec. 21-23. Break out of hibernation and join us for some holiday-themed treats for the animals. They'll much on decorated wreaths and evergreen trees, and tear into gift wrapped boxes filled with favorite foods. Greet your loved ones with a snowy otter, one of several free e-card designs. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. 'Tis the season for sharing, so invite a friend to join you  by  sending a free Woodland Park Zoo holiday e-card! Browse from several designs and get started on making your tree-free card  today.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications This International Cheetah Day we have big news: the fastest land animal on earth will be here in a flash! A pair of cheetah will debut in a temporary exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo next May. The two females will be arriving from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Photo: Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo The Species Survival Plan, a conservation breeding program among accredited zoos, enlisted our assistance to care for these animals for six to 18 months. We’ll share more as the plans come together over the next few months. Are you excited for this new addition? Animal curator Mark Myers helped round up some interesting facts about the new dotted denizens we all can't wait to meet: Range and Habitat Cheetah are distributed throughout the drier parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They are most frequently observed on open grassy plains, but can also be found in a mosaic of woodland and grassland habitats, using bush, scrub and open woodlan

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications   Last year's photo contest grand prize winner. Photo: kbgirl30/Instagram. Shine a light on your favorite WildLights presented by KeyBank moments and be entered to win a grand prize featuring a behind-the-scenes Real Close tour and penguin feeding experience . Enter your WildLights photo now through January 5 for a chance to win. Finalist photo from last year's photo contest. Photo: thefoxtronaut/Instagram. How to enter: Snap your WildLights photo and you’ll be automatically entered to win when you share it with us by any one of four ways: Tag your photo with @woodlandparkzoo and #wpzwildlights on Instagram OR Tag your photo with @woodlandparkzoo and #wpzwildlights on Twitter OR Tag your photo with #wpzwildlights on Woodland Park Zoo's Facebook page OR Email your photo to webkeeper@zoo.org with subject line "WildLights" (files must be 5MB or under) You can find complet

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo From all of us here at Woodland Park Zoo, we give thanks to you—our amazing pack of wild-at-heart animal lovers who have helped make this world-class zoo a community tradition for 114 years. Of course, you can’t celebrate Thanksgiving without a feast and friends to share it with. So as you belly up to your perfectly set table to enjoy your holiday spread, allow us to start the meal off with an animal-inspired toast. [ Raise a glass ] Dearest friends… …Here’s to a drool-worthy Thanksgiving feast… …May your meal taste better than cardboard and may your guests not ruin your centerpiece… …May you wolf down your first serving so you can get to seconds. Then thirds… …Table manners aside, may you dive head first into the comforts and joys of the season... …And may your holidays be filled with tender moments. Cheers!